Bowling training alley



Nov. 21, 1961 w. T. GEORGE, sR 3,009,268

BOWLING TRAINING ALLEY Filed Sept. 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Warren 7i George, S:

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BOWLING TRAINING ALLEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1959 9 Warren 72 George, .5:

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BOWLING TRAINING ALLEY Filed Sept. 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 8

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9 Q BY Wm United States Patent ()fiice 3,@09,268 Patented Nov. 21, 1961 BGWLING TRAINING ALLEY Warren T. George, Sin, 1611 Clark Ave, Billings, Mont. Filed Sept. 29, 1959, Ser. No. 843,141 1 (Ilaim. (Cl. 35-49) The present invention generally relates to a bowling alley and more particularly to such an alley primarily constructed for training purposes although it may be used as an amusement or entertaining device.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bowling training alley which has corresponding components of an actual bowling alley except that the device does not have bowling pins but only switch mechanisms engageable by a bowling ball which actuates a scoring mechanism which details do not form a part of the invention but which are associated with the bowling training alley for registering a score. The device incorporates a simulated alley with a pit at one end thereof together with a mechanical ball return mechanism and the alley is also provided with a foul line and ball retainer adjacent the area from which the balls are thrown.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bowling training alley having upstanding side rails along each edge thereof together with a ball return trough and a device for propelling the balls from the pit area to the area from which the balls are thrown.

Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a bowling training alley in which the balls are automatically returned to the launching area and with electric switch plungers orientated for engagement by the balls whereby it is unnecessary to have a person setting up the usual pins nor is it necessary to have a machine for setting up the pins.

Still another important feature of the present invention is to provide a bowling training alley which is simple in construction, easy to use, dependable, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and generally easy to install and maintain.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the bowling training alley of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 22 of FIGURE 1 illustrating structural details of the bowling training alley;

FIGURE 3 is a plan View of the bowling training alley with portions thereof broken away for illustrating the orientation of the structural details of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 44 of FIGURE 3 illustrating further structural details of the device;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 5-5 of FIGURE 3 illustrating the details of the ball return mechamsm;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 66 of FIGURE 5 illustrating further the structural details of the ball return mechanism;

FIGURE 7 is a detailed plan sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 7-7 of FIGURE 5 illustrating further structural details of the ball return mechanism; and

FIGURE 8 is a detail sectional view taken substantially upon the plane passing along section line 8-8 of FIG- URE 1 illustrating the construction of the ball retaining means.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the bowling training alley of the present invention which includes an elongated fiat alley forming member 12 which may be constructed of any suitable material such as the usual wood of which bowling alleys are constructed. Elongated alley I2 is provided with transverse lines 14 designating a foul line with the area outwardly of the foul line being designated as a launching or bowling area 16 from which the bowling balls 18 are launched onto the alley 12. in the usual manner. The edges of the alley 12. are supported by depending side members 2% and 22 to which are attached upstanding side rails 24 by a plurality of angulated brackets 26 which retain the ball and prevent the ball from rolling off the side edges of the training alley. The ends of the rails 24 remote from the foul line 14 are inwardly curved as designated by numeral 28 and connected to side members 30 forming a pit with the side members 30 extending vertically and being interconnected by a transverse top member 32 having a plurality of lights 34 therein for indicating a score. Disposed below the transverse member 32 is a mirror 36 which may be watched by the person training so that his actions may be observed and in faults in the delivery, approach or follow through may be corrected. The side members 30 together with the front member 32, the mirror 36 and a top panel 38 cooperate to form an enclosure for electrical conductors 40 connected with the light 34.

As illustrated in FIGURE 4, the mirror 36 engages the rear of the panel 32 in peripheral relation to an enlarged opening 42 and retaining strips 44 are employed for retaining the mirror 36 in position. At the lower edge of the mirror 36 there is provided a pair of transverse support members 46 and 43 to which is attached and suspended a cushion member 50 having an internal area packed with a cushioning material 52. The area between the end edge of the alley 12 and the cushion 50 is the pit for receiving the balls and the pit is provided with a floor surface 54 which is laterally inclined towards the right hand edge of the bowling training alley.

As seen in FIGURE 4, the alley floor 12 is supported by a plurality of transverse supporting members 55 and an end member 58 at the launching end and an end member 60 forming the rear edge of the pit for the bowling ball. On either side of the foul line 14, there is provided switchesdZ for engagement by the bowling ball or by the foot of the person whereby the switches will indicate the area of the foul line. over which the ball passes or will indicate the presence of a foot of the person bowling over the foul line. 1

Adjacent the pit end of the alley there is provided a plurality of switches 64 disposed in the path of movement of the bowling ball which are arranged somewhat in the nature of bowling pins so that the passage of the bowling ball through the switches 64 will be recorded and register on the lights 34 for indicating a score dependent upon the areathrough which the ball passes.

As the ball passes over the end edge of the alley 12, it will engage the cushion or pad 54 and will drop back into the bottom 54 of the pit and due to the inclination of the bottom 54, the ball will roll to one side thereof into substantially a U-shaped trough 66 and due to the inclination of the U-shaped trough 66, the ball 18 will start to roll back towards the foul line 14 but the ball 18 will come into contact with a ball return mechanism generally designated by numeral 68 which propels the ball rearwardly in the elongated U-shaped trough 66 disposed along side of and inwardly of the edge member 20. The rear end of the trough curves upwardly into a ramp 70 3 supported by supporting brace members 72 with the upper end of the ramp 70 being horizontally disposed as indicated by numeral 74 for receiving a plurality of the bowling balls 18.

An inverted U-shaped guide 76 is provided at the point of juncture between the inclined ramp 70 and the horizontal portion 74 and the inverted U-shaped guide 76 is provided with a spring tensioned flapper plate 78 which is provided with an arcuate spring 80 for normally urging the flapper 78 into the path of movement of the balls 18 as they proceed up the ramp onto the horizontal portion 74 with the flapper 78 permitting the balls to pass thereunder in one direction but preventing their return to the pit end of the bowling alley.

The bowling training alley is also provided with an upstanding support member 82 having a coin control box 84 on the upper end thereof for receiving a coin which will energize the various switches and also the ball return mechanism 68 for operation of the device for a single game of bowling or for a predetermined length of time.

The ball return mechanism 68 includes a pair of generally V-shaped supporting elements 86 fixed rigidly to the rear wall of the pit area which forms a backing for the cushion 50 and is designated by numeral 88. A belt pulley 90 is journalled between the apex end of the V-shaped brackets 86 and the shaft mounting the pulley 90 is also provided with a drive pulley 92 connected with a motor 94 having a pulley 96 thereon with the pulleys 92 and 96 being interconnected by a V-belt drive or equivalent drive designated by numeral 98. An endless belt 100 is engaged over the pulley 90 and also encircles a pulley 102 mounted on a pair of longitudinally adjustable support frame elements 104 which are longitudinally adjustable and pivotally supported on the transverse axle 106 which supports the pulley 90.

The support rods 104 extend beyond the pivot point 106 in the form of extensions 108 which have a coil compression spring 110 for engaging under one end of the rod 104 and also engaging the stationary bracket 86 at the other end for resiliently tensioning the ball return mechanism so that the ball 18 will be engaged by the downwardly inclined surface area and pushed rearwardly by virtue of frictional contact with the ball for urging the ball towards the launching end of the alley.

In operation of the device, a person deposits a coin in the coin receiving mechanism 84 in the usual manner of depositing a coin in such a device and the entire device is then energized and the balls are thrown or rolled in the usual manner with the path of the ball being indicated by the switches 62 and 64 with the switches also registering a score on the score indicator lights whereby the most desired position and path of travel of the ball may be determined and any corrective steps to be taken may be viewed in the viewing mirror.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A bowling training device comprising an elongated horizontally disposed flat bowling alley with upstanding side rails at each edge thereof, a pit at one end of said alley, a launching area at the other end of said alley, an upstanding panel mounted above the pit, contact means in the surface of the bowling alley for engagement by a bowling ball, means in the upstanding panel operable in response to the contact means in the alley for registering a score for the bowling balls, means returning the balls under the alley from the pit to the launching area for reuse thereof, said pit including a laterally sloping bottom to discharge the bowling balls from one side edge thereof, and a transversely extending flexibly suspended cushion member disposed completely above the bottom and forming a backstop for the pit for engagement by the bowling balls after which the bowling balls will drop and roll laterally on the bottom, said ball returning means being disposed at the low side edge of the bottom of the pit thereby receiving balls from the pit due to gravity, said upstanding panel being provided with an enlarged upstanding mirror above the alley and facing the launching area whereby the movements of the body components of a bowler may be studied for self-analysis, said launching area being provided with an upwardly inclined bowling ball ramp extending from a point below the alley and having an upper end above the alley, a horizontal storage area connected with the upper end of the ramp, an inverted U-shaped guide at the entrance end of the storage area, and a one-way flapper in the U-shaped guide for permitting passage of balls therethrough, and preventing return of the balls towards the pit, said ball return means including an elongated U-shaped trough extending below and within the lateral confines of the alley between the pit and the lower end of the ramp, and means overlying a portion of the trough adjacent the pit for engaging the periphery of the balls and rolling them along the trough, said last named means including an elongated endless belt, a pair of pulleys receiving the belt, one of said pulleys being mounted for rotation about a horizontal stationary axis, bracket means for supporting said one pulley, drive means connected to said one pulley to cause rotation of the pulley and linear movement of the belt, means swingably supporting the other pulley for swinging movement in a vertical plane about the axis of rotation of said one pulley whereby the belt may engage the ball, the ball will be propelled along the under surface thereof with the movable pulley riding up over the ball as it is discharged, said means for supporting the swingable pulley including an elongated adjustable rod having a pivot point corresponding with the rotational axis of said one pulley, and spring means interconnecting the bracket means for said one pulley and the adjustable rod at a point remote from the swingable pulley for urging the end of the rod carrying the swingable pulley downwardly for engagement of the belt with the ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,035,659 Talbert Aug. 13, 1912 1,431,695 Severence et al Oct. 10, 1922 1,558,762 Richter Oct. 27, 1925 2,223,255 Koci Nov. 26, 1940 2,390,224 Sams Dec. 4, 1945 2,682,407 Huck June 29, 1954 

